Semiconductor power modules control electrical power to circuits and devices, such as motors, actuators, controllers or the like. When high reliability is required for use in extreme or harsh environments, such as in high performance vehicles, aircrafts, space shuttles and satellites, it is important to provide robust packaged assemblies that are small, lightweight, and electrically and thermally efficient. For example, in some space and satellite applications, packaged assemblies with power semiconductor devices require packaging of high thermal conductivity in order to maintain useful operation of the devices. However, most packaging material with good thermal characteristics does not offer matching substrate to package coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE).
In a conventional packaged assembly, a substrate is attached to a package using hardware and hard soldering paste, which add weight to the packaged assembly. The contact points between the hardware and the substrate consume the limited usable area of the substrate. Moreover, due to a mismatch of coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) between the substrate and the package, the packaged assembly experiences thermal stress due to changes in temperature, which can cause damage to the power semiconductor devices and circuitry on the substrate.
Accordingly, there is a need to overcome the drawbacks and deficiencies in the art by providing a small, lightweight, and electrically and thermally efficient packaged assembly for high density power applications.